I was just reading through the recipe thread, but I had wanted to ask this anyway, so here is a new thread. What is your favorite cookbook - and why? Can be different things, a book that opened the door to a new ethnic cuisine or style of cooking for you, a book that provides comfort because it has some special meaning for you etc. I'd really like to hear more about your personal connection to a book than about 'the best book for Japanese cuisine is...'.

I have a bunch of cook books, gave about 100 or so away before I moved to the US and still took a few hundred with me. When I was thinking about this question, I just went to my shelf and realized how many books there are that I didn't even remember I had. I even found a few still in their wrapper. But there are also a few that are well worn, even though I am not a person who strictly follows recipes. My favorite is probably a small paperback by Eckart Witzigmann, an Austrian cook who is one of the few 'cooks of the century' in Europe. He rose with the 'nouvelle cuisine' in the 70s, but has developed beyond that. The book is called something like 'My 100 home recipes' ('Meine hundert Hausrezepte' in German), published in the 90s, I think. I love how the recipes are creative but very down to earth at the same time. Most are very 'simple' and defined by the quality of the ingredients and the history or region where they come from. For me, this had something very comforting, the thought that you can cook some very basic but good food that is satisfying on many different levels, but you do not need 12 cooks behind you to prepare things, there don't have to be 17 different colors on the plate to make it a dish good, you don't have to (my pet peeve) built little towers of food in the middle of your plate. It's the food that a cook of the century, who could do all kinds of things, would cook for his family at home. Other books I read in amazement and admire the skills and creativity (e.g. just went through Morimoto's book the other day with a new understanding after I ate at his place out here) but the little Witzigmann book is still the one i look into most often, when I need a bit of inspiration about what to actually cook. Of course, I am just a lowly home cook, so this may be very different for any pro.

So, what's your favorite cookbook?

Stefan

heldentenor

03-30-2011, 09:06 AM

I'm not in your league in terms of numbers of books, Stefan, but I do have a shelf full of them. My favorite remains Keith McNally and Reid Nasr's Balthazar Cookbook, because it's an accessible and solid guide to the cooking I do most, French bouchon-style. I've since acquired more technical and sophisticated guides to French cuisine, but Balthazar is usually the one I open first.

phasedweasel

03-30-2011, 09:34 AM

Since I was given it as a gift, I've been really enjoying Frank Stitt's Southern Table. It's a good reference for many basics and whatnot (vinaigrette, homemade mayo etc), but has excellent Southern-inspired dishes with more classical elegance. Also, it has a large focus on fresh, local produce, and living in the South next to a huge farmers' market (or three!), I'm always looking for ways to use what's seasonal.

Eamon Burke

03-30-2011, 12:01 PM

On Food and Cooking, by Harold McGee. May be wordy for some, but that book never fails to make me HUNGRY and inspired.

For recipes, Dave Pasternack's The Young Man and the Sea is unfailing, even though most of the recipes are fairly similar in methodology. We have made things in there before that made me do a face like Collette in Rattatouille, "I don't know zis one, but it's Gusteau's...so..."

When I was a kid, my mom had a bajillion cookbooks, but I liked Wenzel's Menu Maker, and the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook the best.

99Limited

03-30-2011, 01:24 PM

I like Williams-Sonoma's Savoring series of cookbooks. I'm not sure you can still get these any more. I have the Indian, Mexican, Tuscany and Spain & Portugal books. Besides having tasty recipes they include several pages preceding each section of history of the cuisine. They also have excellent photography which makes the books a pleasure to look at.

EdipisReks

03-30-2011, 01:29 PM

i've recently made a bunch of great meals out of Dorie Greenspan's Around my French Table. The Silver Spoon is probably my favorite cookbook, though.

cnochef

03-30-2011, 02:54 PM

I keep coming back to Paul Bertolli's Cooking By Hand, read it and you'll gain a whole new appreciation of Italian food.:headbang:

Paul Prudomme's Louisiana Kitchen was the first cookbook I ever bought, my copy must be 25 years old. BTW, My wife and I will be in NOLA Apr10-91 and have a reso at K-Pauls.

rahimlee54

03-30-2011, 04:58 PM

I recently got the ad hoc and french laudry cookbooks what would you guys recommend from it I have tried a few things here and there but nothing I am in love with yet besides the sweet potatoes. I haven't really cooked to much from either though, as the weather outside has been pretty good and I have been grilling and such.

EdipisReks

03-30-2011, 05:21 PM

i'm a big fan of Local Breads (http://www.amazon.com/Local-Breads-Sourdough-Whole-Grain-Recipes/dp/0393050556). a great book if you have some sourdough experience behind your belt.

jonnachang

03-30-2011, 05:26 PM

As much as I love The French Laundry, Daniel,and Alinea I find that I actually do more cooking out of any of the books written by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid Hot Sour Salty Sweet on Southeast Asia is probably their best,even though Beyond the Great Wall is pretty good. Their books tell about the people as well as the food

cnochef

03-30-2011, 05:41 PM

As much as I love The French Laundry, Daniel,and Alinea I find that I actually do more cooking out of any of the books written by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid Hot Sour Salty Sweet on Southeast Asia is probably their best,even though Beyond the Great Wall is pretty good. Their books tell about the people as well as the food

Their cookbooks are spectacular, very anthropological. They live here in Toronto, not too far away from us actually!

steeley

03-30-2011, 07:26 PM

WOW nice picks everyone !
it is hard to pin down one or two books but Ma cuisine is one .
Alford and Duguid are a favorite I think they have a cooking school in thailand .

Citizen Snips

03-30-2011, 09:28 PM

ad hoc at home easily

i love the french laundry cookbook, bouchon, the flavor bible, momofuku, au pied de couchon, the fat duck, morimoto, and dessert forplay. a great drinking book is what to drink with what you eat. all those are great books but i find that the ad hoc is most used and home friendly

FryBoy

03-30-2011, 09:28 PM

I'm a cookbook collector, with well over 1000 titles covering all manner of cuisine (see HERE (http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php?601-Are-recipes-futile&p=6501&viewfull=1#post6501)), so there are literally too many favorites to list. I guess my favorite "go to" book remains The Joy of Cooking, particularly the older editions. But I also like anything by Julia Child or James Beard. For Italian, I look at Marcella Hazan's books first. For Indian, those by Madhur Jaffrey. French, I look to Anthony Bourdain and a few others. Mexican means Barbara Hansen, although the Sunset books are actually quite good. Southern means Edna Lewis, but I also have the complete Southern Living series, also excellent. As for "American," I have the complete Farm Journal series, the complete Time Life series, and literally hundreds of other cookbooks filled with great recipes and interesting information, including several Amish and Mennonite cookbooks. For pressure cooking, Lorna Sass is queen. Chinese, I go to a little volume called The Good Food of Szechwan or those by Fuschia Dunlop. Baking -- I've got so many I can't pick (although my mom's recipes are great). I don't like The French Laundry Cookbook -- it's for show, not for cooking, a coffee table book.

But my most treasured cookbook is one I'll bet few here have ever heard of, The Epicurean by Charles Ranhoffer, the chef of Delmonico's in NYC, published in 1894, nine years before Escoffier's tome. I'm privileged to own a genuine first edition of the book in nearly pristine condition, as well as a copy of the 1921 edition and a much more recent edition that is not too valuable to read. I've never made a thing from it, but it's still my favorite cookbook -- as a collector and would-be food historian. Here's more on the book: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/books/book_47.cfm

as a fan of Caleb Carr's Laszlo Kreizler books, i'd love to make some Delonico's meals!

rysara

03-31-2011, 02:04 AM

Cookbooks aside, I still pick up Culinary Artistry. It's got a lot of information on technique and flavor profiles which can come in handy when preparing meals. :)

steeley

03-31-2011, 04:33 AM

Thanks for link FryBoy nice book by the way I like the history of cuisine and chefs . nothing like cooking over coal stove .

cnochef

03-31-2011, 09:42 AM

ad hoc at home easily

i love the french laundry cookbook, bouchon, the flavor bible, momofuku, au pied de couchon, the fat duck, morimoto, and dessert forplay. a great drinking book is what to drink with what you eat. all those are great books but i find that the ad hoc is most used and home friendly

Dang, I forgot about Au Pied de Cochon and I've eaten there! My favorite thing about that cookbook, apart from the mouthwatering food, is the hilarious illustrations. I can't remember the artist's name, but his twisted work totally reminds me of Ralph Steadman.

Citizen Snips

03-31-2011, 11:24 AM

Cookbooks aside, I still pick up Culinary Artistry. It's got a lot of information on technique and flavor profiles which can come in handy when preparing meals. :)

the flavor bible is the same book by the same two authors but is updated a bit. you should check it out :D

Citizen Snips

03-31-2011, 11:28 AM

Dang, I forgot about Au Pied de Cochon and I've eaten there! My favorite thing about that cookbook, apart from the mouthwatering food, is the hilarious illustrations. I can't remember the artist's name, but his twisted work totally reminds me of Ralph Steadman.

ive eaten at the french laundry, ad hoc, and bouchon and to be honest i enjoyed ad hoc the most. the laundry is and will always be one of the greatest memories in my life and i got to share it with my wonderful wife (also a very talented professional chef) on our honeymoon but the atmosphere is not what i like about going out to eat. that is why i can even compare the experience at ad hoc to that of the french laundry.

i feel that au pied de couchon would be just my place. that is how i cook and how i like to eat. rich, rich, rich...

hopefully i can get up there some day to taste picards food

rysara

03-31-2011, 01:07 PM

the flavor bible is the same book by the same two authors but is updated a bit. you should check it out :D

Oooh thanks! I have been debating on if I was gonna pick that one up. :D

jaybett

04-01-2011, 05:45 AM

The first cookbook that opened my eyes, about technique was, Shirley Corriher's "Cook Wise". John Thorne, a talented writer, shares his views on a variety of food topics, including recipes, in "Outlaw Cook". Alton Brown's work, t.v. shows and cook books, gives all sorts of insight on technique. Michael Ruhlman's "Ratio", has an interesting idea, that once you understand how the ratio between different ingredients work, you can work the ratio, until it meets your tastes. It's easier to write down or remember a ratio then it is a recipe. This stuff may be old news to people working pro kitchens, but its new to us home cooks.

Jay

bikehunter

04-02-2011, 01:56 PM

May not fit the definition of cook book, as there are no "recipes", but my favorite is "Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking" by Michael Ruhlman. Rather than recipes for specific dishes, Ruhlman gives us the basic ratios at the root of cooking, and the relationships of the components. 5 parts flour, 3 parts water, a little salt and yeast, equals...Bread. 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar equals vinaigrette. After than you just add your seasonings and adjustments, according to your own experience and intuition. He does this for doughs (bread,pasta,cookie, etc.), batters, sauces, stocks, sausage, custards, et al.

I recently bought one of these for myself and one for my daughter (who cooks professionally), and we both love it. For those of you who are so experienced that you already hold all this in your head, it my be redundant, but for many of us, this book is a godsend , if one wants to be able to cook "by the seat of your pants". Pros might find it useful as well since, after all, Ruhlman collaborated with Keller (French Laundry Cookbook) and Ripert (Return to Cooking), Michael Symon on his first cookbook (Live to Cook), and others, so I assuming he knows *** he's talking about. <g> At least to a humble home cook, this book is worth many times the eight bucks, incl. shipping, from Amazon. Here's a good review which describes it far beyond my capability.
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/michael_ruhlman_-_ratio/

thistle

04-02-2011, 06:26 PM

I love cookbooks, have several hundred, & read them over & over-it's hard to single out favorites, but I'll try-Frog Commissary (one of my first, & favorites), 'Soul of a Chef'-Michael Ruhlman (I think I have most of his), southern-Frank Stitt, Louis Osteen, Bill Neal, Heritage of Southern Cooking, Thai-David Thompson, Kasma Loha-Unchit, John Thorne & Calvin Trillin, Rick Bayless, Diana Kennedy, uh-oh-looking at my books, I can't even begin to break them down.

Just discovered Adam Perry and have "Serious BBQ" on hold request at the library (which I always do before investing in a book due to S.S. income. ;-) Raichlen's condescending manner drives me crazy, especially when accompanied by his $20K worth of BBQ equip. and tools, not to mention his meal tips involving 150 bucks worth of lobster and tender loin....just add truffles. <g>

stereo.pete

04-05-2011, 05:21 PM

I know it has been mentioned before but I love the Ad Hoc cook book by Keller. Every recipe is relatively simple and very flavorful. He also includes a lot of tips and tricks that have helped me with my cooking over the last year and a half.

Yeah, I should get a Pepin book. I used to watch his TV show all the time and really liked it. There is this one curry dish he made using a pressure cooker, and I have always wanted to try it (once it get a pressure cooker that is).

huh, apparently my tastes in cookbooks are far more pedestrian than most here, ha ha.

I still find myself going back to the Joy of Cooking for the most basic things. The other cookbook I use more than any other I own is this hot and spicy (http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spicy-Cookbook-Mouth-Searing-Palate-Pleasing/dp/1840382104/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_2) one. I dunno, the recipes always turn out, are fairly simple, and it's got beautiful photography.

DwarvenChef

11-30-2011, 04:38 PM

When I want some fish I haven't tried before I got to http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Forever-Understanding-Environmentally-Sustainable/dp/076458779X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322686380&sr=1-1 Fish Forever, lots of interesting stuff here :)

Lucretia

12-01-2011, 04:31 PM

This is a great thread--gotta have a window open to place holds at the library while reading it.

Hard to narrow down--Pepin's "Art of Cooking" or Child's "The Way to Cook" are where I start looking to cook something new. Otherwise it depends on the style of cooking. And they all get scribbled in as recipes get modified.

I DO have a very favorite coffee table cookbook, although the "Dilly Dip" (the cover recipe) isn't really feasible since I've moved from SE to NW US.

More of an eye candy book series but I was hooked on them early in my discovery of real foods, The Beautiful Cookbook series. Huge coffee table style books that have fantastic pictures and good recipes, at least the ones I have tried. I have all but one of the books and I keep forgetting what one that is when I'm at used bookstores. While I'm trying to get them all in hardback I caved in when Borders offered reprints in paperback at around $8 each, I grabbed them all up figuring as I replaced them in hard back I could just leave out the paperbacks for anyone to mess with.

* The Pasta Machine Cookbook by Donna German
* The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz (for ice cream)
* The 2002 Food & Wine compilation cookbook. I don't know why exactly -- a good year for my taste I guess.

k.

Johnny.B.Good

12-01-2011, 11:24 PM

Would one of the moderators please close this thread? The size of my Amazon wishlist just doubled! I have a few of those mentioned here, but not many. Perhaps Santa will bring me a few.

As a quick aside, for those of you with more books than you know what to do with (like me), and who are slightly obsessive compulsive (also me), check out www.librarything.com. It's a site that lets you catalog all of your books online (by entering the ISBN). Once I found myself buying books I already owned on a semi-regular basis I decided something had to change.

I guess my favorite cookbook at the moment would be The Flavor Bible. When I find myself with too much of a certain fresh ingredient (like basil for example), I look it up in the Bible and find ways to use it.

DwarvenChef

12-02-2011, 02:40 AM

Would one of the moderators please close this thread? The size of my Amazon wishlist just doubled! I have a few of those mentioned here, but not many. Perhaps Santa will bring me a few.

As a quick aside, for those of you with more books than you know what to do with (like me), and who are slightly obsessive compulsive (also me), check out www.librarything.com. It's a site that lets you catalog all of your books online (by entering the ISBN). Once I found myself buying books I already owned on a semi-regular basis I decided something had to change.

I guess my favorite cookbook at the moment would be The Flavor Bible. When I find myself with too much of a certain fresh ingredient (like basil for example), I look it up in the Bible and find ways to use it.

Ack it would take so long to get the numbers in there...

Johnny.B.Good

12-02-2011, 03:05 AM

Ack it would take so long to get the numbers in there...

It was definitely time consuming, but sort of fun to "take inventory" for the first time. I just got tired of not knowing exactly what I had, what I've read, what I haven't, etc. This lets you keep track of it all. I entered the codes manually (I am a pretty fast typist), but they make a little bar code scanning gun that is pretty inexpensive and would speed things up considerably. Next time you are standing in a used bookstore and grab a familiar looking title off the shelf, you can jump online and know whether you have it hidden away somewhere at home or not!

mr drinky

12-02-2011, 09:18 AM

Well, I don't know about ALL of one's books, but I have always wanted to do eatyourbooks.com (http://www.eatyourbooks.com/). You enter your cookbooks in, and then you have a personal searchengine for your own cookbooks. I've heard good reviews about the site, but I have never taken the time.

k.

edit: they also index popular food blogs, which is kind of nice.

DwarvenChef

12-02-2011, 09:19 AM

I ended up with 2 copies of Bruice Aidell's Complete book of Pork... oops :p

DwarvenChef

12-02-2011, 09:24 AM

Next book I'm getting is Stone Brewery's Cookbook, just haven't found a copy yet.

bprescot

12-02-2011, 01:59 PM

Well, it's definitely not my favorite cookbook, but Stefan mentioned books that opened doors. For me that was Momofuku. I got started cooking WAY late and had only just achieved some semblance of competency when I picked this up. This book was just different than other books I'd read. The approach to food and cooking was just different. I read the recipes and stories and the theme of the book didn't seem to be the usual "Follow these recipes exactly and your precision will achieve excellence" but rather, "Here's what we're trying to do. Here's how we think we did it. Take what we did, mess with it all you want, but whatever you do, make it bangin'." It was a completely different mind set. I haven't opened that book in over two years, but as far as impact, for me this may have been the biggest one to date.

UglyJoe

12-03-2011, 03:58 PM

I LOVE Keller's French Laundry and Bouchon cookbooks... talk about food porn! In particular the French Laundry cookbook isn't something that as a home cook I have really been able to take advantage of, as far as replicating any of the dishes, but the ode to technique and the inspiration I have gained just from looking though it are invaluable. I've been meaning to pick up Ad Hoc for a while now...

Andrew H

12-03-2011, 06:25 PM

In particular the French Laundry cookbook isn't something that as a home cook I have really been able to take advantage of, as far as replicating any of the dishes.

You aren't kidding. That book is insane, one step out of 68 for a component of a dish will be "run this mixture through a chinoise at least 15 times."

UglyJoe

12-04-2011, 01:49 AM

Keller is the master of refinement. He refines and refines and refines till he could turn a piece of bacon into three star food. And then after that he get's playful. No better example of excellent refinement that I can think of than his recipe for Bouef Bourguignon in the Bouchon cookbook. Amazing.

Lucretia

12-04-2011, 12:29 PM

Next book I'm getting is Stone Brewery's Cookbook, just haven't found a copy yet.

+1 on Culinary Artistry & Konemann's Culinaria series. Also, Pierre Gagnaire's books & the Art Culinaire compendiums.
My absolute favorite is The Gentleman's Companion by Chas. Baker. Two volumes, one food & one beverage. Just a hell of a good read!

memorael

12-19-2011, 11:46 AM

the flavor bible is the same book by the same two authors but is updated a bit. you should check it out :D

I have been kinda curious about this, is Culinary artistry and the flavor bible the same book or should I buy both? I own the flavor bible but have been curious about culinary artistry. Some people say they are completely different.

Peco

12-20-2011, 07:37 AM

Michael Ruhlman's "Ratio", has an interesting idea, that once you understand how the ratio between different ingredients work, you can work the ratio, until it meets your tastes.
Jay

Bought this book (kindle version) last night. Good and fun read for sure. Might go for a few other books of his.

Vils

12-20-2011, 08:11 AM

Bought this book (kindle version) last night. Good and fun read for sure. Might go for a few other books of his.
I have Ruhlman's Ratio, Elements of Cooking and Twenty. They are all quite useful.

Vils

12-20-2011, 08:16 AM

On Food and Cooking, by Harold McGee. May be wordy for some, but that book never fails to make me HUNGRY and inspired.
Couldn't agree more, his latest book, Keys to good cooking, is very good as well.

Peco

12-21-2011, 06:28 AM

Last night I bought: On Food and Cooking, by Harold McGee. I didn't get much sleep - interesting stuff and not that hard to digest - even though English is not my mother tongue.

Peco

12-22-2011, 06:03 AM

I have been kinda curious about this, is Culinary artistry and the flavor bible the same book or should I buy both? I own the flavor bible but have been curious about culinary artistry. Some people say they are completely different.

Description says that Culinary artistry focus on classic combos before 2000 .... The Flavor bible focus more on modern combos - 2000 and ahead. Seems like you need both of these :D

bcrano

12-22-2011, 11:34 AM

Just got Jacob Kennedy's BOCCA. Which is a great book with a lot of new ideas about Italian cooking. Kennedy is British so the book has a slightly different slant, which I like a lot. Definitely recommend it.

Johnny.B.Good

01-02-2012, 02:10 AM

I have a few of the cookbooks mentioned here, but picked up the following as a Christmas/New Year's present for myself: "On Food and Cooking" (McGee), "The Silver Spoon" (Phaidon), "Ratio" (Ruhlman), "What to Drink with What You Eat" (Dorneburg). When more than one person here lists a cookbook as their "favorite" it's hard not to want to check it out. I'm sure I will learn something from all of them...

Kyle

01-11-2012, 06:08 PM

Just got done reading this thread and now my Amazon wishlist has grown quite a bit. Pretty excited to get some of these.

Something I found very useful was buying the textbook for a college cookery course, it was very informative and had loads of pictures. I like Nigel Slater's books, it is all basically home cooking but it is great, the type of food I like

I picked up that one also. Along with Eleven Madison Park, Sauces, Good Eats 3, and Flavor Bible.
I've done meal 24: Garbanzo beans w/spinach & egg, glazed teriyaki pork belly, sweet potato w/ honey & cream and picked out dishes from some of the other meals. Very simple and good. Also the meals are usually pretty affordable.

mr drinky

01-25-2012, 09:45 PM

I also got that one a couple of weeks ago but haven't looked into it yet.

k.

unkajonet

01-25-2012, 10:25 PM

Darn it guys! My cookbook wishlist is getting too big too fast!

apicius9

02-01-2012, 07:52 PM

I got the Ferran Adria book yesterday and looked through it for a bit. Maybe I had wrong expectations, but at a first glance I am a bit underwhelmed. O.k., it is nicely done, but this is the first time in a cook book that I actually thought there are too many pictures. I guess what I had expected were more variation of Spanish dished that I know, and what the book delivers is a set of very eclectic recipe which are solid and certainly good home meals, I just haven't seen much that really jumped out at me and said 'cook me!' But I will ready it over a bit more thoroughly before I give it a final verdict.

The other book that came in yesterday was the Reinhart's 'Artisan breads every day', and that looked really nice. Still waiting for a slow cooking book and then I should be done for a while again. Sometimes I consider selling off a few of my cook books, there are always a ton I never really use or look into much, but considering the few $$ I usually get for used books, I'd rather keep them. I just hate the thought of my next move...

Stefan

unkajonet

02-01-2012, 08:34 PM

What's the slow cooker book you're getting?

apicius9

02-01-2012, 08:46 PM

What's the slow cooker book you're getting?

Someone mentioned that the American Test Kitchen's book was nice, so I got that one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933615699/ref=oh_o00_s01_i01_details

Kyle

02-01-2012, 09:41 PM

Today I placed an Amazon order for a cable for my iPhone, and of course that wasn't good enough so I also picked up Big Ranch, Big City by Louis Lambert. Pretty excited for this one.

heirkb

02-01-2012, 10:34 PM

I think Ratio might be my favorite right now, too. I checked out the new Heston Blumenthal book as well as Ad Hoc and Bouchon by Thomas Keller at a bookstore recently. I really liked all three.

knyfeknerd

09-13-2012, 07:37 AM

Bringin' it back from the dead. I've been looking for this thread!

DwarvenChef

09-13-2012, 08:51 AM

Noooooo!!! I can't afford this thread :p

Crothcipt

09-16-2012, 10:06 PM

:zombiegrave:

stphntrjllo

02-25-2013, 10:29 PM

Gotta support my kitchen The French Laundry

wellminded1

02-25-2013, 10:47 PM

Eleven Madison Park, Elements of Dessert, Joe Beef, Faviken, Notes from A Kitchen, The Keller Collection, Alinea, Toque , Volt Ink, COCO, and The Art of Fermentation. That just to name a few.

chinacats

02-25-2013, 11:15 PM

Recently it's been Ratio and Twenty--both by Ruhlman. Also, Beard's Theory and Practice of Good Cooking.

Sambal

02-26-2013, 12:55 AM

Wow, being a new member of this Forum I love it when old gems in the pot like this thread gets a stir. My favourites:
The Tasajara Bread Book (a sentimental attachment, it started me baking bread in 1974)
Japanese Cooking, A Simple Art, Shizuo Tsuji (my Japanese primer)
The Heart of Zen Cuisine, A 600 year tradition of vegetarian cooking (says it all, I love the elegant minimalism of this tradition)
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Marcella Hazan (as mentioned by a couple others here)
Moro, (as well as) Casa Moro, Sam & Sam Clark (Moroccan and Spanish, lively and different approach by two youngish English cooks)
The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, Yamuna Devi (a fantastic source for Indian cuisine, easy to adapt to seafood or even meat if you need to)

ecchef

02-26-2013, 01:38 AM

Reading The Flavor Thesaurus lately. For style as well as content, plus its interesting references.

scotchef38

02-26-2013, 06:35 AM

Mrs Beetons cookery book from 1928 because it was my great grandmothers and it amazes me how little the basics have changed.It has a great page of kitchen maxims,such as "a stew boiled is a stew spoiled" and cringeworthy ones like"thrust an oniony knife into the earth to takeaway the smell."Other than that Mcgee,Fat Duck ,Modernist cuisine,LaReportoire,anything by David Thompson-actually really hard to name a favourite.

mr drinky

02-26-2013, 07:22 AM

Lately, I have been liking All About Roasting by Molly Stevens. She has this chicken pieces with Dijon mustard that is simple and amazing. I made it back in November when I was trying out Justin's Fowler Honesuki and needed a simple recipe that involved breaking down chickens. Since then I have made it three times along with a couple of other recipes that have been spot on.

k.

Jmadams13

02-26-2013, 12:26 PM

My current favorite is Farmhouse Cooking by Mary Black. It's a little dated, published in New Zealand in the late 80s I think, but the food is good, simple, and interesting

Mike9

02-26-2013, 12:41 PM

My hands down favorite is "The Complete Greek Cookbook" I've had for 30+ yrs. I also like "I Hear America Cooking" But I try stuff I read about, or see on line here and no other forums.

Basecadet

02-26-2013, 12:56 PM

Charcuterie & Salumi by Ruhlman

and I been going through Around My French Table by Dorie Grennspan alot lately.

The one that change what being a cookbook was about for me was Bertolli's cooking by hand. I don't cook Italian food but the detail and care that he put into the book and expresses about his food is something else. Say what you want about about the French Laundry book Judy Dater's simple, beautifully composed photos could be hung with her fashion and fine art work.

I'm also a huge fan of the Time-Life foods of the world books, these guys are quality, and contain images of foodways and ways of life that have all but disappeared. One day I'll own them all...

And to the guy in the beginning of the thread who liked Real Cajun, I've been working for Donald Link for almost four years now, but had never looked through the book till this Christmas when I got one for my uncle. It was like looking at a high school yearbook, with the pictures of people who have gone on to other things and food that we made every day that isn't on the menu anymore. Aside from that I can say its a pretty quality book.

agp

03-04-2013, 05:02 PM

Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child. By a mile. Her food is not fancy or pretentious like Eleven Madison Park (which I also own and enjoy). Julia Child's food is just honest, humble, good food. Not only that, her food is simple enough for you to add your own flare to it, which is a quality many cookbooks today do not have.

cnochef

03-05-2013, 01:25 AM

I got Modernist Cuisine at Home for my birthday and I'm really enjoying reading it. Looks like I will have one more thing to spend money on now that I want a sous vide setup!

cnochef

03-05-2013, 01:28 AM

The one that change what being a cookbook was about for me was Bertolli's cooking by hand. I don't cook Italian food but the detail and care that he put into the book and expresses about his food is something else. Say what you want about about the French Laundry book Judy Dater's simple, beautifully composed photos could be hung with her fashion and fine art work.

I'm also a huge fan of the Time-Life foods of the world books, these guys are quality, and contain images of foodways and ways of life that have all but disappeared. One day I'll own them all...

And to the guy in the beginning of the thread who liked Real Cajun, I've been working for Donald Link for almost four years now, but had never looked through the book till this Christmas when I got one for my uncle. It was like looking at a high school yearbook, with the pictures of people who have gone on to other things and food that we made every day that isn't on the menu anymore. Aside from that I can say its a pretty quality book.

Dardeau:

That is me who loves Real Cajun. Even though we live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, we visit New Orleans every year for a couple of weeks. We go to Cochon every time and have met Chef Link too. Maybe we will see you next time!

Paul Bertolli's Cooking By Hand is one of my faves too.

I am also a chef, perhaps going to open a small joint shortly...

slowtyper

03-05-2013, 02:17 AM

I got Modernist Cuisine at Home for my birthday and I'm really enjoying reading it. Looks like I will have one more thing to spend money on now that I want a sous vide setup!

Pressure cooker is essential for this book. I made the Neapolitan style pizza and it was great.

cnochef

03-05-2013, 07:56 AM

Pressure cooker is essential for this book. I made the Neapolitan style pizza and it was great.

For sure! I will probably pick up the Kuhn Rikon one.

BTW I love the recipe for Hawaiian pizza, with the pineapple right in the marinara sauce.

aser

08-07-2013, 09:25 PM

I'm always curious about tastes in cookbooks. I think I'm in the minority when I say I rarely buy books to try to replicate recipes. I always want to read about techniques and flav combinations, sparking ideas for experimentation.

Hence, I don't really buy any of those homecooking or comfort food resto cookbooks.

My favourite books of late have been....

L'astrance - imo, the best cookbook I've read in the last 5 yrs.
Kaiseki Kikunoi - more philosophy than recipe cookbook
Eleven Madison Park - basically a more current take on the French Laundry book

disappointing books

most of the big name chef books by Phaidon, gorgeous layouts but needs more NERDERY!
cute girl blogger cookbooks - wow there are so many of them out there now.

cookbooks I'm awaiting to buy.

Ivan Ramen
Pok Pok
Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian by Sat Bains
El Celler De Can Roca - they published this one themselves, expensive book.

Took me about 2 months of looking to get a copy of white heat, due to the lack of available copies and my extreme frugalness with cookbooks. Even though all the food looks hideous I can't help but keep staring at it. Weird

cnochef

08-08-2013, 05:08 PM

Anything by Gwyneth Paltrow :rofl2:

SyndicateNova

08-08-2013, 06:49 PM

Good Eats the Early Years
Good Eats the Middle Years
Good Eats the Later Years

Alton Brown... nuff said

Sambal

08-10-2013, 04:15 AM

What's the opinion here on 'Jerusalem' by Ottolenghi and Tamimi? I haven't seen it but have noticed quite a bit of publicity about it. I like the food in the pics looking like real food.

Von blewitt

08-10-2013, 04:25 AM

Jarusalem is a great book, I've done a few things for home from it, it's worth it for the pics alone!

mikemac

08-11-2013, 10:57 AM

For Chinese food: The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo, oop but well worth looking for. Personally vetted by my very critical Chinese mother, herself an excellent cook

Wow, good to hear - I've had that for decades...but just to confirm, there's The Key to Chinese Cooking by Kuo, and The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Tropp

tripleq

08-11-2013, 11:21 AM

I recently picked up The Breath of Wok by Grace Young. Not a bad wok-specific book at all.

Soesje

08-15-2013, 05:22 AM

interesting lists I have seen and no one mentioned Gordon Ramsay.
I find his professional aimed type books really inspiring (work in a restaurant kitchen and do a lot at home), well explained.
have most of his books, not the ones from the series..... so *** chef, desserts, chef secrets, passion for fish, passion for flavor
another book I would recommend that I saw on other lists , is indeed, RATIO by Ruhlman......been quite an eyeopener, now I look for ratios in other recipes (!!).
jacques pepin's new techniques (which is two books in one).
harold mcgee is someone who should be on every bookshelf of anyone who cooks...
ideas in food by kamozawa/ alexander talbot is a good one that makes you think about cooking too and try out new ways with food.
for bread, peter reinhart is unbeatable and for sourdough lovers get the books by Daniel Leader!
last but not least: The escoffier cookbook (big tome on classic cooking to get the basics right!!) auguste escoffier, not seen that mentioned either yet.

Brad Gibson

08-15-2013, 06:13 AM

Eleven Madison Park

agp

08-20-2013, 12:42 PM

Any recommendations for a good Italian cookbook? I don't want something as involved as 11 Madison Park, but something I can skim through, get a basic sense, and make it in a few hours after work everyday.

brianlsx

08-20-2013, 01:27 PM

For me, I have a few books that I would browse through time to time to "refresh" myself and get ideas from:

Alinea by Grant Achatz
Under Pressure by Thomas Keller
Bentley by Brent Savage
Eleven Madison Park by Daniel Humm
Pier by Greg Doyle
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. I feel anyone who is interested in cooking, be it professional or home cooks should get this book. Tons of information provided, however, it is a really dry book.
The Flavor Bible

For me, I have a few books that I would browse through time to time to "refresh" myself and get ideas from:

Alinea by Grant Achatz
Under Pressure by Thomas Keller
Bentley by Brent Savage
Eleven Madison Park by Daniel Humm
Pier by Greg Doyle
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. I feel anyone who is interested in cooking, be it professional or home cooks should get this book. Tons of information provided, however, it is a really dry book.
The Flavor Bible

For an accessible Italian book look for The Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. My personal favorite, Cooking By Hand by Paul Bertolli is not something you cook dinner out of after work, but will teach you more about food and technique in general than most other books.

Von blewitt

08-28-2013, 08:55 AM

For me, I have a few books that I would browse through time to time to "refresh" myself and get ideas from:

Alinea by Grant Achatz
Under Pressure by Thomas Keller
Bentley by Brent Savage
Eleven Madison Park by Daniel Humm
Pier by Greg Doyle
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. I feel anyone who is interested in cooking, be it professional or home cooks should get this book. Tons of information provided, however, it is a really dry book.
The Flavor Bible

Nice to see some Aussie books on that list! I love the Pier book, and I worked at Bentley :) other good Aussie cookbooks Quay, Origin (Attica), Marque

brianlsx

08-28-2013, 01:35 PM

Nice to see some Aussie books on that list! I love the Pier book, and I worked at Bentley :) other good Aussie cookbooks Quay, Origin (Attica), Marque

Australian chefs/cuisine are somehow underrated and do not really get much attention but damn, the work that you guys put in is awesome.

Actually I have all of the books you mentioned except for Marque, which I'm going to buy next month. Anyway how was working at Bentley like?

rdm_magic

10-20-2013, 06:20 PM

I'm going to get Ad Hoc, Eleven Madison Park or Alinea next. Which one do you guys think I should get?

wellminded1

10-20-2013, 06:37 PM

All are amazing, but EMP is in my opinion the new French Laundry. Great book, stunning photography.

rdm_magic

10-20-2013, 07:18 PM

I just ordered the French laundry earlier this week too.. Are the books similar?

wellminded1

10-20-2013, 07:22 PM

They have the same feel I think, Keller produced an amazing book, with beautiful stories and recipes with killer photography, but I believe its modern day counter part would be EMP. If you like books, Toque was one of my favorites over the past year. I love cookbooks almost as much as knives.

rdm_magic

10-20-2013, 07:35 PM

I like the books with nice pictures and stuff, but I want a book with stuff that will be useful in more than anything. I'll probably end up with all 3, I just want to know which to get first..

wellminded1

10-20-2013, 08:24 PM

Well I guess it depends on what you find useful, Ad Hoc is a great sunday cooking book geared I think for home cooks but with some great tips for pros, the other two are geared more for professionals or some serious home foodies. Just my two cents.

Bill13

10-21-2013, 12:50 PM

I have FL and Ad Hoc and for day to day cooking the Ad Hoc gets used much more. It is a favorite of mine. Look on Amazon for a used one, I can't remember the last time I bought as book for myself that was new.

rdm_magic

10-21-2013, 12:56 PM

I couldn't decide, so I ordered Ad Hoc and EMP. Alinea will have to wait

stereo.pete

10-21-2013, 01:13 PM

I couldn't decide, so I ordered Ad Hoc and EMP. Alinea will have to wait

I have all three and they are all fantastic. They all have very similar styles in terms of presentations, quality of photography and overall build quality. All three should be on everyone's coffee tables!